Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-07-23
JESS.
BY H.RIDER HAGGARD.
Euthoro ot NRs solon1oF5HUeeS Sks.Eie
iCONTINUED.)
CHAPTER XIV.


John, it will be remembered, left Mooifon-
tein for Pretoria toward the end of Decem-
Der and with him went all the life and light
OF the place.
Dear me, Bessie said old Silas Croft on
the evening after he had started, ''the place
seems very dull without john" remark in
which Bessie. who was secretly weeping in
the corner, heartily concurred.
Then, few days afterward, came the news
OF the investment of Pretoria, but no news Of
q John They ascertained that he had passed
Standerton in safety, but beyond that moth
ing could be heard of him, Day after day
passed, but no news, and at last, one evening,
Bessie broke out in a passion OF hysterical
tears.
What did YOU send him for7r she asked Of
her uncle at was ridiculous-I knew it was
ridiculous He could not help jess or get her
back; the most that could happen was that
they both would be shut up together And
now be is dead-I know that those Beers have
shot him-and it is all your fault And if he
q Is dead | will never speak to you again"
The old man retreated. somewhat dis
mayed at this outburst, which was not at all
in Bessie's style
~Ah. well y he said to himself that is the
way Of women: they turn into tigers about Il
man
TE-re may have been truth in this refec
ton, hut Z tiger is not pleasant domestic
pet. As poor Silas found out during the next
two months The more Bessie thought abOul
the matter the more inceIsed she grew at hi
having sent her lover away Indeed ia
little while she quite forge that she had her
alf al i'm, In Inr he,
temper completely gave way under the strain,
that at last her uncle scarcely dared TO men
tion Johns name
Meanwhile things had been going as Ill
without p within First of all-that was the
day after Johns departure-two or three
loyal Boers and an English storekeeper from
Lake Chrissie, in New Scotland, outspanned
on the place and came and implored S;Ila,
Croft 10 fiy for his life into Natal while there
was vet time They said that the Boers
would certainly shoot any Englishmen who
might be sufficiently defenseless But the old
man would not listen
Il am an. Englishnan-civis Romanu.
sum he said, in his sturdy fashion. "and
do not believe that they will touch lie. who
have lived among them for twenty years
At any rate, am not going TO run away and
leave my place at the mercy of pack OF
thieves. If they shoot HE they win have tc
reckon with England for the deed. so | ex.
pect that they viii leave me alone Bessie
can 90 if she likes, but shall stop here and
see the row through, and there's an end of it
Whereon, Bessie having fatty declined tc
bulge an inch. the loyalists departed in q
hurry, metaphorically wringing their hands
at such an exhibition of i'll placed confidence
and inSular pride. This little scene occurred
at dinner time, and after dinner old Silai
proceeded to hurl defiance at his foes in an
other fashion Going to cupboard in Bs
bedroom, he extracted an exceedingly large
Union Jack, and promptly advanced with il
to an open SPOT between two of the orange
trees i'll front OF the house, where flagstaff
was planted, formed of a very tall young
blue gum, i'll such position that it could be
seen for miles around On this flagstaff il
was old Sias' habit TO hoist the Union Jack
= on the queens birthday, Christmas day and
other state occasions.
Now, Jantie," he said when he had bent
on the flag, run her up, and I'll cheer" and
accordingly, as the broad flag floated out on
the breeze, he took off bis hat and waved it,
anu bdNc ouLH Il mp mp Hul ldu III LIE
steDtorian tones that Bessie came running
down from the house to see what was the
matter Nor was he satisfied with this, but
having obtained ladder, he placed it against
the post and sent Jantje up it, instructing
him to fasten the rope on which the flag was
bent about fifteen feet from the ground. SC
that nobody should get at it to haul it down
There, he said. I've nailed my colors tc
the mast That will show these gentry that
an EnrlislITnan lives here